Method of supporting tunnel roofs and walls in unstable ground and shields therefor



Aprll 26, 1932. H, G, BARBER ET AL 1,855,466

METHOD OF SUPPORTING TUNNEL ROOFS AND WALLS IN UNSTABLE GROUND AND SHIELDS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ I lNVE/VT'ORS HORA c5 GREELY BARBER HucH EURR/Tr/WUCKLES ro/v EYIW P" 1932- H. G. BARBER ET AL 1,855,455

METHQD 0F SUPPORTING TUNNEL ROOFS AND WALLS- IN UNSTABLE GROUND AND SHIELDS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS f/ORA cE GREELY BARBER Huqh' BURRITT MUCKLESTON TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT *oFF CEf'] nonAoE GREELY BAR-BER AND H GH BURRITT MUOKLESTON, OF VANCOUVER, f I 'BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA w 1 I mn'rnon 0F SUPPORTING TUNNEL no'ors AND WALLS IN'UNSTABLE.GROUND AND SHIELDS 'rnnnnron a Application filed n embere, 1930. 'S eriaI No. 499,500.

Our invention relates to improvements in method of supporting tunnel roofs and walls in unstable ground and shields therefor; The object of the invention is to provide a shield 5 for supporting the roof and wallsof a tunnel which is covered with sheet piling or spilling and is capable of being advanced as the cut proceeds, of arranging said piling so that the cross sectional area of the tunnel at the face of the cutis somewhatgreater than the area at the rear end of the shield,

whereby the shield frame can be advanced with a minimum of eifort and to provide for the lateral spreading of the piling to;

1- wards the cut face to reduce frictional resistance to the advance movement of the p1];

ing; Further objects are. to providemeans.

whereby concrete or otherlin'ing may be conveniently erected in the tunnel and for pro- 2 viding a simple method of back filling between the tunnel lining and the earthwork.

The invention consists essentially of a frame having front and rear transverse mem-. bers which are adapted to support on their exterior a plurality of longitudinal members v being selectively moved across taken on the line 33 of'Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the manner in which the piling is mounted for movement longitudinally of the shield 45 frame.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view Fig. 5 is a View showing the mannerbf advancing the piling when used for work platforms.

Fig. 6 is a perspective VlGW ShOWlfigT tht-BE adaptation of the rear ends of the pilingsto form cribbingfmembers for pressure grout mg. p

In the drawings like characters of r'efer ence indicate corresponding parts in eachfig urea v V The numerall indicates one of a pair of stringers extending longitudinally of the floor 2 of a tunnel 3, upon which stringers a pair of rails 4 are mounted, which are adapted tomovably sup ort ashield frame generally indicated by t e numeral 5. The shield frame consisting of forward and rear ward transverse structural steel members 6 shaped to conform tothe boreof the tunnel, the forward member in every case beingof greater overall width and height than the rearwardi'member. In the tunnelshown'fini Figure'l, the members consist of'vertical side portions'7 and semicircular or arched roof portions 8. The side portions 17am connected together by a transversefjbearer 9 having gusset plates 10 or other stiffening members, as required.

The forward and rearward transverse members 6 are connected together by a pair?- of rails 11 which are disposed in alignment, with and above the rails 4 and areadapted to be moved therealong upon rollers 12.

A plurality of I-beams or rai-ls l-3 extends between the forward and reartransverse members 6 at regularly spaced intervals throughout their entire 7 length. Outside, each ofthe rails 13 an-I beam 14 is movably mounted upon a plurality of flanged rollers 15 so as to permit eachI-beam to be moved longitudinally of its rails 13 with a minimum of friction. The I-beams d14 are each "fitted on their outer flanges with a length of sheet piling 16 ofany suitable typeiha ving its longitudinal edges provided withsuitable matched joints such for example, as a bulb or tongue 17 and a complimentary groove 18. The sheet piling 16 is of materially greater length than the I-beams to which they are secured. The rear ends of the piling overhang the shield frame as at 19, see Figure 3, so as to permit the lining of the tunnel as at 20 to be erected close up to the rearward transverse member 6. The sheet piling is of such construction as to permit of closely butting joints at the rear of the frame and at the same time to permit the spreading of the piling at the forward end of the shield frame .where the crossisectional dimensions of the frame are greater thanat the rearward end.

At-theforward'end of-each-sheetof piling 16 is a tooth 21 which is secured to -the end atj 22, so as to facilitate its being driven,

into the face of the tunnel as the work proceedsand to urge the front end of the pile outwards from the longitudinal axis of the tunnel.

A fillet 23, see Figures 3 and 6, is fitted on the inner face and at the rear end of each sheetofpiling, which serves to space the piling from the tunnel lining 20 and to permit an outer lay-errof cement grout being applied thereto. These fillets are provided with a tube 2fi extending therethrough, which is ad ptcdfor connection to a hose 25 for the purpose of forcing grout to the rear of the fillet'as eachsheet of piling is advanced towardsfthe tunnel face.

In high tunnels, such as that shown in Eigure 1, where suflicient headroom isproe videdl-for one setof mento work above another, the transverse bearers 9 are connected together by rails 26, each of which support, a further I-beam ll movably mounted on rollersl5 and having-secured to its upper flange a sheet of ,piling16 which formsa platform 2.7113011 which men may work and also serves asflajineans' for supporting the face of the work whereby caving of theupper portion of the face is prevented[ In order that. the

sheetsofpiling forming the vplatform 27 may.

bejconveniently adyanc-ed into the. faceofthe work, one or more lugs 28 are secured to the I beams lfagainst which a suitable. jack 29 abutting against the bearer 9, may be applied.

Inthe boring and lining of circular tunnels theshield frame 5 is ,fitted betweenopposite sides of'the rearwardtransverse frame member 6 with abeam 30, see Figures .2 and 35..PQD Which aswinging arm 3.1 is .rotatably. moun ed The arm 31 is provided at'itsinnerxend with .a counter weight 32' and at its outer end with a u shaped'clip 33 in which a' jack 34 is slidablymounted. The length of the arm 31' is suchas to carry the jack 341between the tunnel lining 20 and the rear end of the I- beams 14, so that the force of the jack may be applied to thrust any desired I-beam and its length of piling lengthwise of the shield and drive its tooth 21 into the face of the work. When all the lengths of piling are fully advanced well beyond the forward end of the shield frame 5, a plurality of acks 35 are applied to the rearward transverse member 6 and actuated to move the frame forwardly within the piling. Since the piling surrounding the frame is spread at its forward end due to the forward transverse frame member being slightly larger indimensions than the rearward one, it will be obvious that the frame may be moved with a minimumiresistance. The inward pressure ofzthelearth upon the piling will force it into contact with the shield frame as the material is removed'from the face of the cut adjacent the teeth 21. v I What we claim'as our inventionis: 1. In a tunnel shield having a frame supporting a plurality of 'longitudinally disposed shield members capable of being se lectively advancedinto the tunnel face, said shield members being adapted to overhang the frame atoneend to enable a tunnel lining tofl'be erected therein, a transverse fillet at one extremity of'each shield memberadapted to bear upon the outerface of the tunnel lining, said fillet having a grout feed passage therethrough.

2. A tunnelling shield comprisingan open frame having sp'aced'forwa-rd and rearward transverse members of the same general'contour, the forward memberbeing'larger than the rearward member, a plurality of shieldf members carried longitudinally of the frame work and endwise movable parallel to corresponding border portions of each ofthe transverse members whereby the area: enclosed by the forward end of the shield members. is greater and its vertical height and width is greater-than that enclosed by the rear end of saidmembers andthe contour of such area is similarfto that of the transverse members and whereby the frictionalengagement between the frame and ,the shield members is reduced incidental to the move ment of;the frame in a forward direction within said shield members. Y

3. A tunnelling shield comprising an open frame having spaced transverse members connected together by spaced longitudinal rails, each of said rails being disposed at a frame through which access is aflorded to the working face of the tunnel, a plurality of adjoining shield members carried by and movable longitudinally of the frame, means associated with the frame for supporting each shield member at a slight angle to its adjoining shield members whereby all of said members will diverge from the longitudinal axis of the frame when moved in one direction.

Dated at Vancouver, B. C., this 8th day of November, 1930.

HORACE GREELY BARBER.

HUGH BURRITT MUCKLESTON. 

